Roseville's Simon stars at Optimist game

Tim Lloyd, Special to The Press TribuneRoseville's Katie Simon, center, had a big day at the Optimist All-Star game.

In the girls 32nd annual Optimist Senior High School All Star basketball game, there was a showcase of talent across the board from both the North and South. The South came away with the victory 83-57 Saturday at Center High School, but the North led 19-15 after a quarter and was down just one with three minutes to play in the third quarter.
"Intensity. We didn't get the ball when we needed to, and we didn't rebound," said Roseville High forward Katie Simon, who was named outstanding player for the North. "It was a lot of fun. I know a lot of girls on my team and the other team, so it was a blast."
Simon, who will play for the University of Nebraska next year, came out shooting and scored eight of the North's first 12 points. By the time the buzzer sounded, Simon had tallied 25 points to lead all scorers and grabbed six rebounds. Constant on-ball pressure from the South forced the North into making bad decisions, especially in the fourth quarter.
"We practiced about three times before today," said Woodcreek coach Ray Beck. "They had a little bit more quickness and depth on the perimeter, but our girls still gave a great showing."
Woodcreek and Cal Poly Pomona-bound forward Jennifer Judge was a major factor as well, scoring 11 points and dishing out six assists to go with three steals, but it still wasn't enough to compete with the quickness and athleticism of the South.
McClatchy point guard Ariel Thomas led the South with 22 points, slashing and cutting through the lane with floaters, fade-aways and finger-rolls that the North couldn't stop. Combined with Sacramento guard Brittany Shine's 17 points from all over the floor, it was too much for the North to overcome.
"Our point guard was hurt, so it was tough to go against a trap with basically only wing players," said Beck.
Turnovers became detrimental in the fourth quarter, as the North could only muster seven points to the South's 23. Sacramento’s Kyra Dunn was named outstanding player for the South because of her play on the defensive end. She scored nine points to go along with six boards and four blocks.
Granite Bay guard Sarah Sciscia scooped up six boards, and Center forward Mayzia Thompson contributed five points and three boards in the loss.